New Allies

After I saw Fritz off, I realized Fee was standing right beside me. I hadn't even heard her approach.

“He’s gone...” she murmured.

“He’ll be back soon enough,” I said.

“Yuri-sama, you have dark circles under your eyes.”

“I suppose I pushed myself a little too hard.”

“You should sleep. Even if it's just for a few hours.”

“No, I was just about to start manufacturing the Water Pipes.”

Fee turned a stern, piercing gaze toward me. She didn’t need to say a word; her expression spoke for her. You’re clearly in no condition to work, so what on earth are you talking about?

“I’ll be fine. I won’t do anything reckless, I promise.”

“You’ve already stayed up all night. That’s reckless enough.”

Without another word, Fee began herding me toward the futon. I tried to change the subject to buy some time.

“By the way, why were you and Sasha in my bed this morning? I thought you two were sleeping in the other room.”

Fee’s composure crumbled instantly. “I-I have no idea what you’re talking about...”

Her blatant panic told me everything. She’d crawled in of her own accord.

“Look, I’m a man. Try to keep those kinds of antics in moderation.”

“...I understand,” she whispered, her shoulders slumping visibly.

I saw my opening. While she was distracted by her own dejection, I’d slip away to handle the Water Pipes—

“But that is a separate issue entirely. Yuri-sama, you are going to sleep. Now.”

My diversionary tactic failed miserably. I was forcibly escorted back to my shack and tucked in.

---

My body must have been more exhausted than I cared to admit. The moment I hit the futon, I plummeted into a deep sleep that lasted until noon. When I finally woke, the air outside was thick with noise and commotion.

“Did something happen?” I asked, findng Fee near the door.

She pointed toward the edge of the clearing. Sasha was there, standing defiantly across from Alan.

“Onii-chan! There’s a suspicious man here!” Sasha shouted the moment she saw me.

“Yuri-sama, please,” Alan sighed, looking exhausted. “This young lady has spent the last hour insisting I’m a bandit.”

I realized then that this was entirely my fault—a failure to communicate. From Sasha’s perspective, she was simply doing her duty to protect the territory. And considering we were on high alert because of the threat to her life, her paranoia was justified.

“He’s safe, Sasha. He’s our personal merchant.”

“Yuri-sama, Fee-sama. It has been quite a while,” Alan said, bowing politely.

“It has. I trust there was no trouble on the road?”

“None at all. In fact, the Viscount has been so accommodating lately that it’s almost suspicious.”

As we spoke with familiar ease, Sasha finally lowered her guard, though she still looked skeptical. “Onii-cha—I mean, if he’s my brother’s merchant, does that mean he’s opening a shop here?”

“Eventually. But look around—we’re not exactly ready for retail yet.”

“But the village has grown since I was last here,” she noted. “You’ve even managed to dig a moat.”

“We’re still desperately short on manpower,” I admitted. “This is all we’ve managed so far.”

Alan smiled. “I suspected as much. That’s why I brought some powerful reinforcements.”

Two figures emerged from Alan’s carriage. One was a man so massive I had to crane my neck just to see his face; the other was a stout man who barely reached my chest.

“Allow me to introduce Rick-dono of the Kijin Race and Dozul-dono of the Dwarf Race. As you know, life in the Kingdom can be... difficult for those of other races. I suggested they might find a better life here.”

“That’s a massive help. Rick-san, Dozul-san, it’s a pleasure. I’m Yuri Lousouth, the Lord of this territory. I look forward to working with you.”

I offered them my best diplomatic smile. First impressions were everything, and I needed these two to feel at home.

“Ri...”

Rick, the Kijin, tried to speak, but his voice was a tiny, breathy whisper that seemed impossible coming from such a large frame. Still, he was trying. That was enough for me.

“Never mind that,” the Dwarf, Dozul, barked, skipping the pleasantries entirely. “How did you make that Mock Refrigerator?”

It seemed we had a bit of a character on our hands.

“Dozul, do you have experience with Magic Tools?” I asked.

“Magic Tools? Bah! I only care for Blacksmithing. But that box... the geometry is too perfect. I can’t replicate those lines no matter how I hammer. Make another one. Now.”

He was already repeating himself, so to keep the peace, I gathered my mana. I shaped a stone box with Earth magic and handed it to him.

“Oh! The legendary Mock Refrigerator!” he exclaimed, cradling it like a holy relic. “The use of Earth is a flaw, granted, but the linear beauty... the precision... A talent like this won't appear again for a century!”

I left Dozul to his worship and turned my attention back to Rick.

“Rick, is your focus combat?”

I looked at his hulking build. In the games I remembered, the Kijin were late-game encounters—nightmare enemies with massive health pools and overwhelming Attack Power. They’d sent me back to the save screen more times than I could count.

Rick flinched at the question. He crouched down, making himself as small as possible, and shook his head frantically.

“You... aren't good at fighting?”

He nodded vigorously. Then, he looked at me with a pained, searching expression. “No... good...?”

He thinks he’s useless because he can't fight.

“It’s not a problem,” I assured him. “If you’ve got the strength for it, I need help with house construction and civil engineering. Honestly, we’re short-handed everywhere. We’ll find plenty for you to do.”

Rick’s face lit up. He lunged forward to hug me, but I managed to sidestep just in time. A Kijin hug was essentially a lethal Attack.

As I regained my footing, Alan spoke up as if he’d just remembered something. “By the way, did you know a Dragon Slayer was born in this territory? The neighboring towns are in a complete frenzy over the news.”

“Wait, what?”

Information shouldn't have traveled that fast. Emilina had only been gone for a single day.

---

Fritz was entirely unaware that he was being hailed as a legendary Dragon Slayer. Somewhere on the road to the Town of Nest, he was staring at his new sword with a wide, goofy grin.

“Heh... I can't believe I got something this high-quality.”

He spent his time practicing his draw, swinging at the air, and sheathing the blade, only to pull it out again a moment later.

“I want to test it on something. Why are there never any Monsters around when you actually want them?”

It made sense, of course. The stampede had wiped out the local Wolf population, and the arrival of the Earth Dragon had scared off everything else. The region was currently a vacuum of monster activity.

However, while the Monsters were gone, the bandits remained.

Fritz didn't even hear them coming. Before he knew it, he was surrounded.

“Heh heh. Hey, kid. Drop the valuables and you might get to keep your life.”

“Hee hee!”

Iron swords and Daggers were leveled at his throat. Fritz gripped his weapon—the Stone Greatsword.

“A stone sword? You think you’re going to beat us with a rock?”

“Look at him. He’s probably a pauper. Let’s just haul him off and sell him as a slave.”

Fritz looked at the circle of men. He was outnumbered, and on paper, his weapon was garbage compared to their iron. But he couldn't stop here. He had a job to do. He had to get back to Yuri.

Fritz swung.

The Stone Greatsword met the lead bandit’s blade. There was no clang of metal—only a clean, sickening zip. The iron sword was severed as if it were made of wet parchment.

“Huh?”

“Wha—?”

Everyone froze. Fritz stared at the stump of the bandit's sword.

Did I just... cut through iron?

It was impossible. This was stone. It was heavy and durable, sure, but stone didn't slice through metal.

One of the other bandits regained his senses and lunged with a Dagger. Fritz instinctively brought the flat of his blade up to block. The moment the Dagger struck the Stone Greatsword, the smaller weapon shattered into a thousand pieces.

“What in the—!?”

The air grew cold. Fritz realized then that this sword was just like the Shovel. It was a cheat item with some kind of absurd, hidden property. He didn't understand the mechanics, but he knew one thing: it destroyed everything it touched.

“Still want to try your luck?” Fritz bluffed, putting on his best intimidating sneer.

The bandits backed away, their faces pale. One of them pointed a trembling finger at him.

“W-wait... the rumor... Is he the Dragon Slayer!?”

“It has to be! Look at that strength! It’s inhuman!”

“R-run! Get out of here!”

The bandits scrambled into the brush, fleeing for their lives.

Fritz stood alone in the silence of the road. “Who the hell is the Dragon Slayer?” he muttered to himself, watching their retreating backs until they disappeared from sight.